Electric cooker



April 5, 1949. G, P. ANDERSQN 294669349 ELECTRIC COOKER E Filed Nov. 1'7, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet l IN V EN TOR.

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P 1949- I G. P. ANDERSDN 2,466,349

ELECTRIC COOKER Filed NOV. 17, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. E 5 G'eor' BYMg aw Patented Apr. 5, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT @FFICE ELECTRIC COOKER George 1?. Anderson, Detroit, Mich, assignor to McCord Corporation, a corporation of Maine Application November 17, 1943, Serial No. 510,845

(Cl. 2l9-35) 5 Claims. 1

This invention relates to an electric cooker or roaster of the domestic type and has reference to a new type of construction and arrangement ofthe parts thereof in order to make the appliance useful for many different kinds of cooking operations.

Principal objects of the invention are to provide:

A new and improved type of electric cooker;

An electric cooker construction in which the parts thereof are readily separable in order to permit the use of the parts as a unit or certain of the parts individually for different types of cooking operations;

A cooker construction in which the parts are readily separable and in which means are provided whereby the cooker may be handled as a unit or certain parts thereof may be readily removed therefrom;

A cooker construction in which the base thereof may or may not be picked up with the rest of the unit and in which locking means are provided for releasably locking the base to the remainder of the unit, together with means for preventing the release of the locking means when the unit is being carried.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from a consideration of the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, of which there are two sheets and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation view of a cooker embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective exploded view of the major parts thereof;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of one end of the cooker illustrating the manner which the major parts thereof are releasably looked together;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary end elevational view of the cooker with certain parts thereof broken away in order to show certain details of the locking mechanism; and

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional fragmentary View of the lock between the base of the cooker and the remainder thereof.

The cooker in general includes a base ill, a shell l2, a pan M, and a cover it. These parts when assembled as illustrated in Fig. 1 form a unit which is sometimes referred to as a cooker or a roaster. The base i preferably may include a cooking surface or plate I 8 upon which certain types of cooking may be performed, such as grilling, frying, or toasting various kinds of foods. The cooking surface l8 also may function form cooking op 2 as a hot plate for heating various kinds of cocking vessels that be set thereon. The use of the base it for the foregoing functions may be obtained when the base it is separated from the remainder of the cooker.

The base lil includes legs or supports 20 by means of which the base may be suitably supported upon a surface, and recessed portions 22 of the legs so at each end of the base may be provided to form a pair of handles by means of which the base be handled. The base i ii has arranged therein suitable electric resistance heating elements 5 l which are adapted to be supplied with our out under the control of a suitable switch and thermostat (not shown) in order that the heat of the plate it may be selected for the particular type of cooking operation desired. Since the details of the construction and arrangements of the electric resistance heating elements form no part of the present invention, these have not been illustrated and any desired or preferred construction may be employed.

The cooking surface it preferably is smooth and of such a nature to make it possible to perations such as frying or grilling directly thereon. The cooking surface may be surrounded by an upstanding rib M which also functions to forropart of a seat for the complementarily shaped seat formed around the lower edge of the shell 52.

The shell 52 comprises a hollow section which is adapted to be removably seated upon the base iii and to form a well or space for receiving the pan As illustrated in Fig. 3, the rib 24 forms part or a seat which is adapted to receive, locate, and support the shell 52, upon the base it, the seat on the lower edge of the shell being complementary to that of th seat on the base to so as to form a good joint therebetween. In addition, the lower edge of the shell it? may be provided with a groove 253 in. the seat 2t and in which groove a gasket is arranged, the gasket cooperating with the rib 2t to form a seal in the joint between the base if and the shell 82.

The cooking surface it is exposed to the space enclosed by the shell :2 and is adapted to heat the air such space. The cooking surface 18 may consist of a plate, the edges of which are supported by a seat formed of suitable insulating material, such seat in turn being supported in a shoulder formed in the base Ii), thereby providing a thermal break between the cooking surface It and metal walls of the base II]. In addition, insulating material may be arranged in the space in the base not otherwise occupied in 3 order to reduce the loss of heat through the sides and bottom of the base Ill.

The shell 12 consists essentially of an insulated wall formed by an inner wall 34, insulation 36, and an outer wall 38. The upper rim 1-6 of the shell 12 is formed to provide a seat for the rim or marginal flange d2 of the pan It in order that the pan I l may be supported by the shell l2, and within the space enclosed thereby. The size of the pan M- is somewhat less than the interior dimensions of the shell l2 in order to provide .between the side walls of the pan i l and the inner wall M of the shell a continuous space 44. The bottom. of the pan M is arranged in spaced re lationship with the cooking surface Hi. When the pan H2 is assembled on the shell l2 as illustrated in Figs. 3 and l, the rim 42 of the pan cooperates with the rim ill of the shell to close the space M at the top, thereby defining an en" closed space between the pan and the shell and the base.

The cooking surface is when heated will heat the air in contact therewith and adjacent thereto, and set up a thermal air circulation by means of bottom of the pan It. In addition, the pan [4 will be heated by radiant heat from the cooking surface l8. Parts of the rim i? at the ends of the pan may be formed to provide handles M5 which permit the pan to be lifted out of the well provided by the shell l2 and the base Ill. At each end the shell i2 is provided with a handle :18. When the shell i2 is seated on the base lli, as illustrated in Figs. 1, 3, 4 and 5, the shell i2 is locked to the base ill so as to form a unit which may be carried by means of the handles 48.

However, in order to permit the lifting of the shell I2 without the base iii, a releasable locking mechanism is provided between the shell [2 and base ill and which comprises the following: At each end of the base a plurality of keepers 51B are provided. These are adapted to project upwardly through suitable openings in a horizontal wall 52 on the shell i2 when the latter is seated on the base Ill, as illustrated in Figs. 3, l and 5. A latch bar 54 is slidably mounted on the wall 52 and is provided with suitable slots for accommodating the keepers 5d. The latch bar 54 is biased to a locking engagement with keepers Fall by a spring 55, one end of the spring being connected to the bar 54 while the other end of the spring is anchored to a wall of the shell l2. Pins 58 upstanding from the wall limit the movement of the latch bar under the influence of the spring 56. The latch bar is provided with an upstanding arm 6% which is positioned to be acted on by a cam 62 carried on the lower end of a slide 64. the slide be being mounted for vertical slidable movement on the shell [2 by pins 353. A release button $3 pivotally mounted in a spring clip 18 is engageable with the upper end of the slide 64 so that when the button 68 is depressed the cam 62 cooperating with the arm 8i) will slide the latch bar M to the right (Fig. l) and disengage the latch bar from the keepers 5 3, thereby re-' leasing the lock between the shell 12 and the base Iii. The button 53 is positioned just above the handle 48 and so as to be actuated by the thumb of the hand while the fingers thereof are hooked under the handle (iii. In this manner when the fingers are engaged with the handle til the button '88 may or may not be manipulated to release the lock between the base and the shell.

In order to prevent the release of the lock between the base and the shel1 when the unit is which heat is transferred to the walls and the in Fig. 4.

* shell.

4 being carried, a safety lock is provided which is rendered inoperable when the base 10 is set on a table. This safety lock includes a plunger 12 which is slidably mounted on the base l0 and which is adapted to project through a slot or hole i i in the latch bar 54, thereby preventing shifting of the latch bar under the influence of the button E58 when the unit is being carried. The plunger 12 is mounted for vertical movement on one end of c a lever l4- pivoted at E6 on a pin which is carried by bracket ll. A spring l8 coiled around the pivot pin has one end anchored to the bracket '5? and the other end bearing on the lever 14 so as to bias the plunger '82 to the position illustrated A plunger 80 mounted for vertical movement is pivotally connected to the other end of the lever M and projects below the leg 20 of the base when the cooker is being carried. This plunger is adapted to engage the surface upon which the base is supported and to be moved thereby for retracting the plunger 12 from the hole i i in order to permit the latch bar 54 to be released if desired when the shell and base are setting on a supporting surface. In this manner the shell may not be separated from the base when the shell and the base are being carried by the handles 48.

In Figs. 3 and 4 the construction of one end of the roaster is illustrated, and it is to be understood that the construction of the other end of the roaster is the same. The spring 56 holds the latch bar 54 the position illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 so that if the shell in is separated from the base ill, the shell 82 may be automatically locked to the base merely by properly arranging the shell on the base iii. The upper surfaces of the keeper Eli are beveled as indicated at 84 so that the keepers 5G may project through the slots 86 in the latch bar and engage with the locking portions 88 thereof.

The cover, as illustrated, may be of dome shape and have its lower rim shaped to seat upon the upper rim of the pan i l or the upper rim 40 of the shell 52 if the pan id is removed from the Handles 9b may be provided at ach end of the cover for handling the same, and these handies 9i? are formed by suitable recesses in which the buttons 58 may be arranged.

While the invention has been described with some detail, it is to be understood that the description is for the purpose of illustration only and is not definitive of the limits of the inventive idea. The right is reserved to make such changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts as will fall within the purview of the attached claims.

I claim:

1. A portable electric cooker comprising a base unit having heating means associated therewith, an insulated shell removably seated upon said base and cooperating therewith to define an enclosed cooking space open at the top which is arranged to be heated by said heating means and adapted to receive food supporting means, said shell having handles, quickly detachable automatic locking means operatively associated with said base and shell for releasably locking said base assembled to said shell upon seating said shell on said base so that when said shell is lifted by means of said handles, said base will be attached thereto and form a unit therewith, and means operable for releasing said locking means, said means including a finger engageable member arranged on said shell and positioned adjacent said handles.

2. A portable electric cooker comprising a base unit having heating means associated therewith, an insulated shell removably seated upon said base and cooperating therewith to define an enclosed cooking space which is arranged to be heated by said heating means and adapted to receive food supporting means, said shell having handles, quickly detachable automatic locking means operatively associated with said base and shell for releasably locking said base to said shell upon seating said shell on said base so that when said shell is lifted by said handles, said base will be attached thereto and form a unit therewith, means operable for releasing said locking means and positioned adjacent said handles, and means actuated by lifting of the shell, with the base secured thereto, from a supporting surface to prevent the release of said locking means.

3. A portable electric cooker comprising a base having a cooking surface, a shell removably seated upon said .base and cooperating therewith to define a cooking space above said cooking surface, food supporting means adapted to be arranged in said space for supporting food to be cooked therein, a cover for said shell, locking means operatively associated with said base and shell for releasably locking said base to said shell so that when said shell is lifted, said base will be attached thereto and form a unit therewith, said locking means being constructed so as to automatically engage upon properly seating said shell on said base, means on said shell operable for releasing said locking means, and means to prevent the operation of said releasing means when said base is being carried by said shell.

4. A portable electric cooker comprising a base provided with a cooking surface, said base being provided with a marginal seat, a shell having a marginal seat along its lower edge cooperable with said base seat to locate and removably support said shell upon said base, said shell cooperating with said base to define a cooking well having a rim at the upper end of said Well, a cooking pan adapted to be supported by said rim and to be arranged in said well, a cover for said pan, handles on said shell, locking means operatively associated with said base and shell for releasably locking said shell to said base, a release for said locking means including an operator positioned adjacent said handles, and means to prevent the actuation of said operator when said shell and base are being carried by said handles.

5. A portable electric cooker comprising a base provided with a cooking surface, said base being provided with a marginal seat, a shell having a marginal seat along its lower edge cooperable with said base seat to locate and support said shell upon said base, said shell cooperating with said base to define a cookin well, a cooking pan adapted to be supported and arranged in said Well, a cover for said pan, handles on said shell, locking means operatively associated with said base and shell for releasably locking said shell to said base, a release for said locking means including an operator positioned adjacent said handles, and means responsive to a lifting of the base from a supporting surface for disabling the look releasing means.

GEORGE P. ANDERSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,005,357 Sykes Oct. 10, 1911 1,006,104 Kuhn et al. Oct. 17, 1911 1,043,667 Carpenter Nov. 5, 1912 1,047,088 Kuhn Dec. 10, 1912 1,086,870 Sykes Feb, 10, 1914 1,392,802 Serrell Oct. 4, 1921 1,428,825 Bindon Sept. 12, 1922 1,759,957 Reichart May 27, 1930 2,147,319 Smith Feb, 14, 1939 2,266,901 Parsons Dec. 23, 1941 2,305,056 Austin Dec, 15, 1942 2,321,850 Pearce June 15, 1943 2,341,548 Parr Feb. 15, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 496,724 France Aug. 13, 1919 

